Rebranded and newly refurbished, Heritance Kandalama is a minimalist, contemporary hotel designed by Sri Lanka’s famous architect, Geoffrey Bawa, who conceived it `as an austere jungle palace’.  The minimalist interiors and the building itself are cleverly designed to blend into the landscape without interfering with the tranquil natural evolution of its surroundings.  Bawa has allowed for magnificent views of the ancient Sigiriya Rock, the surrounding mountains and the Kandalama Tank (reservoir). Hidden within the edge of the jungle – which is home to numerous species of birds, butterflies, monkeys, spotted deer and wild boar – the hotel has won numerous prestigious environmental awards for its role in nurturing Sri Lanka’s treasured cultural heritage and natural beauty.  Heritance Kandalama is truly a naturalist’s dream.  Note the hotel is used by some large package groups.

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Accommodation
The hotel’s 152 luxurious rooms and suites are housed in two wings: the Dambulla Wing with views of the surrounding mountains, forest and Kandalama reservoir; and the Sigiriya Wing which captures breathtaking views of the Sigiriya Rock in addition to the surrounding wilderness, mountains and lake.  Accommodation in the Sigirya wing includes the best room in the house, the magnificent Royal Suite, 10 Suites, 30 Deluxe Rooms, 30 Luxury Rooms and four superior rooms. The Dambulla Wing has two Luxury Suites, one Suite, three Panoramic Rooms, three Luxury Rooms and 71 Superior Rooms. The spacious and elegantly furnished rooms have en suite bathrooms with rain showers and hot and cold water.  The rooms have solid timber flooring with timber interiors and are highlighted with cloth tapestries.  Other facilities include air-conditioning, telephone with international direct dialing facility, TV, Tea/coffee making facility, mini bar, and safe deposit locker.

• Superior Rooms: (199 sq.ft.) – Located on 2nd to 5th floors of Dambulla Wing, these rooms have twin beds which can also be joined as a double bed.  The ensuite bathroom has a shower cubicle with rain shower.
  
• Luxury Rooms: (277 sq.ft.) – Located on 2nd and 3rd floors of Sigiriya Wing, these rooms have twin beds which can be joined together as a double bed.  The ensuite bathroom has a bath tub and shower cubicle with rain shower.
  
• Panoramic Rooms: (231 sq.ft.) – Located on 6th and 7th floors of Dambulla Wing, these rooms have twin beds which can also be joined as a double bed and has a choice of pillows to be selected from the pillow menu.  The ensuite bathrooms have a Jacuzzi and rain shower.
  
• Deluxe Rooms: (264 sq.ft.) – Located on the 4th & 5th floors of Sigiriya Wing, these rooms have a double bed and pillow menu.  The en suite bathrooms have a Jacuzzi and rain shower.
  
• Suites: (518 sq.ft.) – Located on Sigiriya and Dambulla wings, these suites have a living room with balcony and bedroom with balcony.  Furnished with a King size bed, the suite also has a pillow menu, flat screen TV and DVD player.  The ensuite bathroom has a Jacuzzi and rain shower.
  
• Luxury Suites: (775 sq.ft.) – Located on the Dambulla wing, these suites have four poster King size beds, pillow menu, flat screen TV and DVD player.  The ensuite bathroom has Jacuzzi and rain shower.
  
• Royal Suite: (1,240 sq.ft.) – The most luxurious of them all, the Royal Suite located on the Sigiriya wing, has exquisite views of the Sigiriya rock fortress.  The suite consists of a Master bedroom with balcony and attached bathroom, a Visitor’s bedroom with balcony and attached bathroom, private dining and living areas.  The bedrooms are furnished with king size four poster beds and have pillow menus, flat screen TV, and DVD player.  The ensuite bathrooms have Jacuzzis and rain showers.  The Sitting and dinging areas are furnished with an 8 seater dinging table, 32” flat screen TV and DVD player.

Facilities
Heritance Kandalama, well known for its cuisine, has several dining areas – three restaurants and a café offering a variety of Sri Lankan, western and eastern dishes all with interesting menus and scenic views. There are also several destination dining options, from a picnic lunch to a traditional rice and curry meal with villagers in Puranagama.  For pre-dinner cocktails or an aperitif, there is the Kanchana Lounge which also hosts a variety of nightly entertainment including cultural shows and other musical performances.  The hotel has 3 swimming pools, a fully equipped gymnasium, tennis courts, billiards table and a mini shopping arcade.  The recently opened Six Senses Spa, with an extensive menu of spa treatments, is located on the top floor of the hotel.  This is the ultimate form of relaxation with treatment rooms all overlooking the breathtaking surroundings of Kandalama.  The Six Senses Spa, with extensive spa experience within the Asian region, provides rejuvenating therapies incorporating the traditional Ayurveda and aromatherapy spa treatments.

Excursions
Surrounded by nature and heritage, there are many adventurous activities and excursions that are on offer. The tropical forest, caves and the reservoir provide a natural habitat for a variety of fauna and flora including butterflies and Dragonflies, Mammals such as spotted deer, Sambur, Wild boar, Porcupine, Scaly ant eater and three species of monkeys: Toque monkey, Purple-faced leaf monkey and Grey langers.  In addition, there are over 170 species of resident and migrant birds: Babblers, Barbets, Bulbuls, Parakeets, Woodpeckers, Raptors, Sunbirds, Flower-peckers, etc. can be spotted within the vicinity.  Heritance Kandalama is a member of Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka has won awards for its efforts at preserving nature. For the more adventurous, a hike to the historic Aligala (Elephant Rock) jungle caves  that date back to the 3rd B.C or the Kandalama Rock in the vicinity of the hotel, with magnificent views of the surrounding wilderness, the reservoir and the Dambulla cave temple from the summit.   Cycle through the wilderness and quaint rural villages, explore farmlands and irrigation tanks.  Experience a unique boat ride in an `Angula’, a high floating raft, manned by two boatmen. Visit the bird island in the centre of the Kandalama Lake where Egrets, Herons, Stork and Brahminy kites roost for the night and fly away in the morning. Enjoy the sunset with the birds, settling down on the treetops for the night. There is also elephant back trekking through the forest and along the lake and horse riding along nature trails and the lake. Heritance Kandalama also offers Hot Air Ballooning where a sunrise fight will let you experience the magic of the early morning skies whilst gently floating over rugged mountains, ancient temples and the Sigiriya rock fortress, reservoirs and lakes, and jungles full of wildlife.